When you're faced with a tough choice, it's easy to let emotions get in the way and cloud your decision. The New York Times suggests that one way to get over this is to pretend you're advising a friend on what should do.

The idea here is to distance yourself from the decision, which is easier said than done. However, if you consider it as advice you'd give, you can get yourself out of your own head for a minute:

When short-term emotions threaten to swamp long-term considerations, [author] Chip Heath suggests that a simple yet highly effective way to think about a difficult decision is to consider what you would recommend to your best friend.

"When we step back and simulate someone else, it's a clarifying move," he said.